Almost all electrical energy consumed by the citizens of Serbia for their own purposes, was obtained from so-called conventional energy sources such as power plants. On the other hand, obtaining electricity from renewable energy sources is considered as a distant future, and further, that is matter of interest only of rare fans of clean energy, from the perspective of the majority. However, the intensive use of renewable sources comes slowly in Serbia, and that time is simple impossible to avoid because energy efficiency and use of renewable energy sources are extremely important issues within the European Union.

There are conditions for use of more renewable resources in Serbia - from wind energy, through biomass, geothermal resources and power of small water flows, to solar energy. Solar energy is still considered as not sufficiently profitable to produce electricity, but it is very good for heating. However, this potential is not generally used in Serbia, although the number of sunshine hours is more than 2000 hours, per year. According to the Ministry of Energy, it is more than in most of European countries.

Therefore, the installation of solar energy is becoming occupation and profession of the future, which is deal by the growing number of citizens of city of Nis. Many citizens of Nis have recognised the importance of what will have this job for only a few years in which Serbia is approaching to European standards in the energy sector. This confirms the fact that the Chamber of Craft enrolled 30 participants for the course of this guild, this year. This course has been reported much more interested.

Nis is only city in Serbia, which has four professional instructors for this craft, who recently completed training in Koblenz and other German cities.

According to Professor Tomislav Pavlovic, lecturer at the Science Faculty of the University of Nis, Nis is the centre of solar energy, not just because of the large number of sunny days, but for the PhD studies on the subject.

"Our laboratory is unique because it has a set of only devices for determining the characteristics of solar cells, by with it gets electricity. It is a prerequisite for these young people to be better at improving their craft, as they have decided for profession installers of solar energy," says Pavlovic, one of the most recognised experts in the study of solar energy.

The couple, Alexandra and Nikola Simonovic, who completed the course, confirms the same. According to their opinion, Nis is very convenient for setting up solar panels for the accumulation of energy, because it`s one of the towns in Serbia with the most sunny days per year.

"In Europe, use of solar energy instead of electricity for heating apartments, houses, and water used in industry and households are already common and widespread. In Serbia, it is only the beginning, so the future of this craft is still ahead," Stankovics explained.

Calculation is simple - one solar panel costs about 250 euros, and three solar panels are needed for heating of rooms and water. According to Simonovics` calculation, use of panels, worth up to 2,000 euros, would satisfy all needs of four-member family, and that investment would be returned in 3 to 5 years.

According to the Ministry of Energy, in 2004 Serbia spent energy equivalent nearly to combustion of 40 million tons of oil. In the same year, from renewable sources has received only 0.96 million tons of equivalent, but the potential utilisation was tremendously large - about three million tons. So, in the future, Serbia will for sure seriously think about using renewable sources.

Intensive and widespread use of solar energy will depend of the state and implementation of the National Programme for Renewable Energy Sources. Despite this, the first licensed installers of solar energy are already living well from their work, and demand for their profession will increase in future.